UTA planning new SLCC express bus route

Nearly 4.5 miles long, the project would include a dedicated bus lane in the center of 4700 South.

Share This Article

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Utah Transit Authority has scheduled a public hearing Tuesday evening on a planned express bus route between Murray city and the Taylorsville campus of Salt Lake Community College.

UTA has completed a draft environmental-study report on the $33 million project  a 4.4-mile route that would include 1 Â½ miles of dedicated bus lane in the center of 4700 South, replacing the existing median and eight stations.

The environmental study concluded that there would be no significant environmental impact.

The hearing, scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the SLCC Student Center, Student Events Room, 4600 S. Redwood Road, will include representatives from UTA, SLCC, Taylorsville and Murray, Salt Lake County and the Wasatch Front Regional Council.

Public comment will be accepted by email or letter through June 4.

Patti Garver, a UTA administrator assigned to the project, said the agency doesn't anticipate opposition to the proposal.

Target date for completion of the route, the second bus rapid transit route in Utah  with dedicated lanes on part of the route and limited stops  is early 2016, dependent on available funding. The only existing bus rapid transit route is on 3500 South between the Millcreek TRAX Station and Magna, with a dedicated bus lane for about one mile in West Valley City.

"Right now we don't have the funding identified," Garver said, except for about $4 million in initial money provide by the Legislature and likely to be used on design and land acquisition.

The planned Murray-Taylorsville bus rapid transit would originate north of the Intermountain Medical Center, connect with the TRAX and FrontRunner Murray Central Station, and on to SLCC. In its first year it would carry about 2,200 passengers daily  mostly students  up from between 360 and 1,200 using the current bus service connecting Murray and the community college, according to UTA. The agency estimates 4,600 riders daily by 2040. 

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account. See more about comments here.